


i’ll only stay if you stay

by Chrommunism



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: F/F, also pretty large SPOILERS, ladies you know when you just pine for literal ages rt if you cry every time, okay cerberus is only mentioned but i was so happy he has a character tag that i had to include him, talking about feelings and stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27057772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrommunism/pseuds/Chrommunism
Summary: Even though she had been instrumental in the events leading to Persephone's return, Nyx is still unprepared for what that means (particularly for her own heart)
Relationships: Nyx/Persephone (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 111





	i’ll only stay if you stay

Few things still truly surprised the goddess of night what with her influence stretching as far as it did, but nevertheless, here she was. Were Nyx a mortal who required air, she would have been knocked breathless at the sight of Persephone, flaxen hair loosely tied back, smile lines and sunshine worn deep into her skin. She was back.

“It is good to see you again, my queen,” Nyx nodded, eyes catching Persephone’s as she approached.

“Good to see you too, Nyx. And, there’s no need for the formalities between us,” Persephone replied, smiling bright enough to cut through even the deepest shadows. It inspired a wave on nostalgia to wash through Nyx, who had spent ages seeing that smile on another face as she had raised Persephone’s son in her stead. It was good to get to see the real thing again.

“Very well, Persephone. Welcome back.” Nyx offered her own wan smile in return, just as the moon reflects the sun’s light.

As much as Nyx would have liked to delve into deeper conversation, making up for lost time and mending old bonds, there were many others who were just as anxious to get a chance to speak with their returned queen, so she simply nodded as Persephone swept off to give Cerberus a hearty round of pets.

—

Nyx’s chambers weren’t located in an exact location that could ever be mapped out, they were a bit too ephemeral for that, but if she were forced to describe them, they were somewhere below her usual corner in the House. The shadows beneath were where her power was the most concentrated, so it was natural for her to preside here. What seemed unnatural, then, was Persephone’s presence in these dark depths.

“Nyx, is it alright if I stop in? I thought I’d visit you without all those prying eyes up in the great hall,” Persephone gently called out as she entered the echoey chambers. The smile she had worn when she had first arrived was no longer present, a more neutral, natural expression shaping her features here in private.

“Certainly. I imagine it must be odd, moving directly from your secluded cabin to these bustling halls,” Nyx replied, gesturing for Persephone to enter. “No one would blame you if you took some time to adjust.”

“Yes, exactly. That’s actually why I came here, to be honest. I wanted to take a bit of a break from all that,” Persephone sighed. “Your chambers have always seemed most secluded from everywhere else in the House.” She looked around fondly, taking in the deep purple and green hues that adorned the space. “With all the recent renovations upstairs, it’s refreshing to see some things haven’t changed.”

“Yes, I suppose I’ve had little reason to alter my chambers. I’m surprised you still remember how to find them.” Nyx tilted her head slightly, allowing space for Persephone to answer the implied question.

“It was nothing. Something like this, I’d never let myself forget.” The open tenderness in Persephone’s gaze had a warming effect on Nyx, almost enough to make her instinctually turn away. There was an intensity there befitting the queen of the underworld, but it lacked any of the coldness her title would imply. Instead, Nyx surmised that she was simply experiencing an extension of Persephone’s nature. Goddess of spring. Her aura certainly felt encouraging, like a rebirth, even amidst all the passing shades and darkness of the House. Again, flashes of memories shifted in a space at the very back of Nyx’s consciousness from where she had set them aside, leaving them to sour over time. But now, Persephone brought a freshness with her that made Nyx’s skin itch with an urge she didn’t dare attempt to identify.

“I see.” Even with all of the myriad thoughts tumbling over each other in her mind, Nyx’s tone was as enigmatic as ever.

Persephone seemed to not need to look around much at their surroundings, so present was her familiarity, and she simply gestured to a soft looking, plum-colored seat, waiting for Nyx’s assenting nod before settling in. Nyx herself took it as a cue to lower herself into an identical chair nearby. While her power and gravity had an intimidating quality she often relished and used to her advantage, she would never wish to impose like that upon Persephone. So she sat, levels even between them.

“So, Zagreus has told me much about everything you’ve been doing for him in his escape attempts. And for me, I’ve heard,” Persephone began, her open expression welcoming and steady.

“Yes, it was my doing that concealed both his and your locations on the surface. After so long separated… it was the least I could do,” Nyx demurred. She crossed her legs and rested her wrists over her knees.

“Nevertheless, I wanted a chance to thank you in person,” Persephone insisted. “Were it not for your aid, I might have never found out that my son lives, and I certainly never would have stepped foot in the House again.” A conflicted emotion passed over her expression like a cloud over the sun, but it passed just as quickly.

“Speaking of, has your return been…” Nyx pondered over how exactly to word her question, “as you had hoped it would be?”

“It has been many things, some unexpected, but mostly pleasant.” Persephone touched a hand to her chin in thought. “I suppose I do still get distracted wondering how my plants back at the cottage are faring.”

Nyx hummed in acknowledgement.

“However, I have no regrets.” There was a sternness to Persephone’s tone, a determination behind her eyes that told Nyx all that she needed to know. Relief unclenched a tightness that she hadn’t even noticed dwelling within until it was released.

“I am glad to hear that,” she murmured.

“Yes, I imagine it would be quite frustrating if all your efforts to reunite us had been in vain.” Persephone had now fully relaxed, leaning on the arm of her seat.

“It was more than that, Persephone. Personally, it brought me great joy to hear of your wellbeing from Zagreus, and even greater joy to see your return.” Nyx’s voice had softened significantly as she went on, allowing a level of emotion that she afforded to very few. Delightfully, a pink flush began to stain Persephone’s ears. The rarity of such warmth made the pleasure Nyx took from this all the richer.

“I thought you were the only one who was able to sense my whereabouts on the surface?” Persephone asked, her lips doing an odd quirking motion as she did.

A wry smile curled across Nyx’s mouth. “In a way, yes, but only distantly. If I was to hide your presence, I had to do my utmost to submerge it even within my own consciousness.” Understanding dawned in Persephone’s eyes.

“So all this time, you had no idea how I was doing, even though you were the one tasked with keeping me safe?” Nyx had to suppress a flinch at the words. After spending so long committing herself to her responsibility, not breathing a word of it to anyone, hearing it described out loud forced the full weight of it onto her at once. She had to erase the woman they all loved (who _she_ loved).

“For the most part, yes.” Nyx did her best to smooth the rougher, melancholic edges of her voice. “I couldn’t allow myself to linger on thoughts of you, even in my own memory, lest I would lose my grip on the power I was using to cloak you.”

Persephone blanched. “Oh, Nyx, I…” She turned her head for a moment, her gaze drifting across the plush carpet underfoot before returning to its gentle rest on Nyx’s troubled expression. “You had to do that for me?”

“Yes. But allow me to reassure you I would gladly do it again to ensure your safety.” And as she said it, Nyx knew it to be true. As she said it, all those memories she had cast into the darkest depths began bubbling up to the surface of her consciousness, and her mind supplied a flood of images from the relatively brief time Persephone had spent with her in the underworld.

_Persephone, blonde tresses still windswept from her journey down from Olympus_

_Persephone, scrutinizing the House’s gloomy interior, mind visibly working and reshaping what she saw_

_Persephone, hands toughened from hard work and coated in the silty soil of the garden she planted just to the east of Nyx’s corner_

_Persephone, wiping a well-earned sweat from her brow and releasing a breath from between petal-pink lips_

_Persephone, in these very chambers so many years ago, sturdy and warm in the face of all of Nyx’s shadows, fascination quirking her mouth before pressing it to Nyx’s own_

_Persephone, Persephone, **Persephone**_

“Nyx?” Persephone asked, concern now lacing her beautiful features as she stood from her seat to approach Nyx’s, kneeling before her to maintain the even level between them. Nyx had to uncross her legs at Persephone’s gentle prodding to allow her close enough to look her straight in the face.

“Yes, my apologies.” Nyx responded, more vulnerability than she typically allowed seeping into her voice.

“No need. And, I know I’ve already said it, but, thank you, Nyx.” Again, Persephone said her name like it was precious, like a blossom she was coaxing to full bloom with the power of her voice alone.

“There’s no need for thanks.” Nyx paused. She had to continue. “I missed you.” A brief moment of surprise caught in Persephone’s eyes before it melted into a gentle smile.

“And I missed you.” Persephone lifted a hand, still cautious as it lingered near its intended destination. Nyx’s met it with her own hand, a magnet drawn to another, guiding it to tuck it against the side of her own face. She then reached out herself, tangling her hands in Persephone’s silky hair and burning her fingertips on her fiery laurel, but the heat only spurred her on. She had no choice but to succumb to all of her instincts, and she pulled Persephone close. Finally, they could truly reunite. Their kiss was even brighter, more vivid than all of her memories, the melding of Persephone’s warmth where it intertwined with Nyx’s shadow, intoxicating, merging into a connection that was immediate and intense. All those years of separation seemed to fall away as Nyx held Persephone in her arms, laying kiss after kiss over her eager lips, coaxing her tongue into her own mouth.

Time seemed like a foreign concept as they embraced, meaningless in the face of their union. As such, Nyx hadn’t the slightest clue how long it was before Persephone was pulling back slightly, still leaning close enough that her breath puffed over Nyx’s glistening lips.

“What a wonderful way to find out that you still hold me in your favor,” Persephone whispered, practically glowing from within.

“There should never be a doubt in your mind as to that, I assure you. Though, I admit, I would be more than pleased to prove my devotion should you ever require it.” Nyx’s eyelids were lowered, her fingers rubbing slow circles against Persephone’s skin. She knew she would feel cool to Persephone’s touch, but something about the contrast was pleasing to her.

“Oh dear, I find myself needing a bit of reassurance right now.” Persephone laughed a bit under her breath as she suggested it.

“The allow me to demonstrate.” Nyx was already pressing the words into the tender skin of Persephone’s neck, her shadows glimmering with new complexities at the renewal of their bond.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated :)
> 
> Okay, so I tried to keep things as canon-compliant as I could, but my memory of all the lore is admittedly not 100%, so let me know if I got anything wrong lol. In any case, I am absolutely fascinated by whatever history the game hints at there being between these two, so I had no choice but to assume it was gay. Also, before anyone can ask, idk how Persephone's relationship with Hades fits into any of this, and it's not really something I care enough about to think too hard about lmao
> 
> The title's a lyric from Mr. Polite by The Jungle Giants
> 
> Catch me on tumblr @spacechannellesbian


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